Writing for a Good Cause

People ask me why I enjoy writing so much. Well, I’ll explain it this way: I’m a natural born klutz. I can trip over a rock and hurt myself. And usually the way I hurt myself is, in fact, pretty stupid and funny.

For example, if I say ‘trunk of my Malibu’, most of the people that know me are going to start laughing. Why? Because I tore the ligaments in my right ankle trying to reach something in the back of the car trunk. No, really, I did! Trust me, the list of injuries is a long one. I’m known as Queen Klutz.

When I tell people how I got hurt, I always do it in a funny way, and people laugh. My son and I are known as “The Traveling Comedy Show” because we make everyone laugh with our stories. So it was only natural that I became a writer.

As a writer, I don’t make a lot of money. Don’t believe the myth that all writers are rich; it’s not true. Most of us don’t make enough to take a vacation to Disneyland. WalMart, maybe, but no Disneyland.

But every once in a while, something happens and you want to use your writing for a good cause. And that’s what I’m doing this month. I have a friend, Dave Harris, who I met on Twitter, and started following him on Facebook. He’s a very funny fellow, which is a big plus in my book, and he’s a musician, also a major plus because I was in the band in junior high and high school. We comment on each other’s posts once in a while, and have a few laughs at each other’s expense.

Photo courtesy of Dave Harris

A few months ago, something happened to Dave and his family that made me care a wee bit more. His 2 ½ year old son, River, was very sick and in the hospital. You all know me, I have a soft spot for kids. So I started paying more attention to what was going on. I remember the night he broke the news that his son had Kawasaki Disease. I could read the heartache and frustration in his words, and I could see the pain on River’s face through the pictures Dave shared. There wasn’t much I could do, being so far away, so I sent little messages of encouragement, and said prayers for the whole family.

Like Dave, I had never heard of Kawasaki Disease, but what I have read totally freaks me out, so just imagine what Dave and his family are going through. Let me share Dave’s words with you. This is from his Go Fund Me page, where he is securing funds to produce an album to raise money for the Kawasaki Foundation:

Hey everybody. I’m Dave Harris. Songwriter, producer, Radio host, and father. My son River was a victim of Kawasaki’s disease. There is no cure. It’s is an immune disease in which the medium-sized blood vessels throughout the body become inflamed. It is largely seen in children under 5 years of age. It affects many organ systems, mainly those including the blood vessels, skin, mucous membranes, and lymph nodes. Its rarest but most serious effect is on the heart, where it can cause fatal coronary artery aneurysms in untreated children. Without treatment, mortality may approach 1%, usually within six weeks of onset. With treatment, the mortality rate is 0.17% in the U.S. That being said, we were one of the lucky ones. Many doctors don’t recognize the symptoms that fast. Chances are it’s a disease you’ve never heard of. I hadn’t either until River got it. There is a foundation set up and they are trying to raise money to fund research and to make others aware.

(Visit the Go Fund Me page so that you can read more about Dave’s project.)

Dave said that when children are suffering from the disease, there is nothing you can do to comfort them. All the little ones can do is cry, because they are in so much pain and feel miserable. You can’t hold them, because they don’t want to be touched. And that’s murder for a parent, because when their children are crying and hurting, you want to hold and comfort them. You want to do anything to take that pain and suffering from your child.

So, here I am, a small-time writer, trying to figure out what I could do to help Dave and River. And of course, there’s only one way I can help: through my writing. That’s why I’m donating this month’s proceeds from the sale of the Lizzie Crenshaw box set to the Kawasaki Foundation in River’s honor. I’m also donating last month’s sales, which came to $116.20. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.

So how can you help? Share this story with your friends and family. Let’s double last month’s total, and make a big donation for River. The box set is only $.99, folks. You might have to give up a cup of coffee or a couple of glazed donuts for one day. But there is way more at stake. Children like River shouldn’t have to worry about being sick at that age; they should be outside, laughing and having fun.

Please click on the links provided to learn more about Kawasaki disease, and purchase a copy of the box set. Send it as a gift to a friend or a family member. Spread the word! Let’s help find a cure for this disease.

Thank you!

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I have always loved to read, and carry a book with me wherever I go. I’ve written for several online sites, doing book reviews and author interviews. After graduating in 2000 from West Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s degree, I was a teacher for a while before deciding my destiny was to write, not to mold young minds. Writing for me is like taking an exciting journey, or going on a welty, as my parents say. I don’t know where my stories are going to take me. I just hang on and enjoy the ride.
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